OR OR - Amatha Marie Saenz, 18, Portland, 30 June 1999

[Moonwalker9]

Demographics
Missing Age18 Years
Current Age38 Years
First NameAmatha
Middle NameMarie
Last NameSaenz
Nickname/AliasBaldwin

SexFemale
Height5' 8" (68 Inches)
Weight135 lbs
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian

Circumstances
Date of Last ContactJune 30, 1999
NamUs Case CreatedApril 24, 2015
Last Known Location Map
LocationPortland, Oregon
CountyMultnomah County

Circumstances of Disappearanceunknown
Physical Description
Hair ColorBrown
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorBlue
Right Eye ColorBlue
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Tattoo
Tattoo left hand "SA"


Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing
blue jeans, blk shirt, white purse

Sadly very little info on her but considering her uncommon name maybe we can find some more info.

 

[NJEverCurious]

I just Googled and found an article connecting Amatha Saez to
Alexandria Ison, who was allegedly strangled by Todd Alan Reed. Reed, of Portland, was arrested in 1999 and charged with aggravated murder in three women's deaths. (A quick Google search didn't turn up anything to show whether Reed was convicted of those crimes, and he isn't listed on Oregon's inmate search website.)

I don't know if the ToS allows me to link to the article I found that says Amatha was friends with Alexandria Ison.

Alexandria Ison's murder apparently was featured on Investigation Discovery's "Shattered".

 

[NJEverCurious]

This link is some sort of blog with the transcript of an interview with Harry Oakes of Portland, OR. It appears Mr. Oakes is a canine handler who conducts "private searches." One entry states (emphasis is mine):

07-13-99 99-1421-100A. Mult. Co. Missing Person, Amatha Saenz. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched the apt that Susan and Amatha shared. See report for findings. We found that she had been killed.

07-24-99 99-1421-100H Wash. Co. Missing Person Amatha Saenz. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1, M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Searched more areas of Forest Park. (Hoyt Arb). Found woman's belt. Both dogs getting death alerts. ​

 

[PayrollNerd]

This link is some sort of blog with the transcript of an interview with Harry Oakes of Portland, OR. It appears Mr. Oakes is a canine handler who conducts "private searches." One entry states (emphasis is mine):

07-13-99 99-1421-100A. Mult. Co. Missing Person, Amatha Saenz. Team: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1. Results: Searched the apt that Susan and Amatha shared. See report for findings. We found that she had been killed.

07-24-99 99-1421-100H Wash. Co. Missing Person Amatha Saenz. Teams: H. Oakes SAR Dog Valorie K-9-1, M. Keating SAR Dog Yogi K-9-2. Results: Searched more areas of Forest Park. (Hoyt Arb). Found woman's belt. Both dogs getting death alerts. ​

Those had to have been cadaver dogs then. I wonder why her NamUS case hasn’t been updated.

 

[NJEverCurious]

Those had to have been cadaver dogs then. I wonder why her NamUS case hasn’t been updated.

I wondered something similar. When I read a bit more of that interview, I got the impression that the interviewee may not be considered the most reliable canine handler. Specifically, Harry Oakes himself says in the interview that he was the subject of a three-year investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice and that many people have questioned his credibility. However, I really didn't have time to read the whole interview, so my impression is based on just a tiny bit of info. I'd like to read the whole thing when I have more time.

I did find a number of news articles and Yelp reviews about this canine handler that weren't flattering at all, so perhaps that's why Amatha's case hasn't been updated.

 

[Murkywaters]

The Morgue - Internet Crime Archives

August 11, 1999 - Todd Allen Reed - The lead detectives of the Forest Park Task Force will continue to prepare for the trial of Todd Allen Reed, a 32-year-old North Portland man facing seven counts of aggravated murder in the strangulation deaths of three women found between May 7 and June 2 in Forest Park.

Detective Robert Peterson of the Gresham Police Department will serve as a liaison to Portland police, as Gresham police and the East Multnomah County Major Crimes Team re-examine a possible connection between Reed and the unsolved deaths of two Gresham girls who disappeared the summer of 1987. Reed had been a suspect in the killings of Jennifer Tchir, 15, and Mindi C. Thomas, 12, but Gresham police said they never had enough physical evidence to arrest him.

ow, police are retrieving the girls' clothing to see whether they can obtain DNA samples they might compare with Reed's. Tchir and Thomas were found in remote wooded areas on the eastern side of Gresham, about three miles apart. Each had been strangled. Reed's girlfriend knew both girls and was the last person to see the victims alive. Police are still investigating the disappearance of Amatha Saenz, an 18-year-old Portland woman who was reported missing July 1 and was friendly with Alexandria Ison, 17, one of the Forest Park victims.

 

[Mfs1123]

The Morgue - Internet Crime Archives

August 11, 1999 - Todd Allen Reed - The lead detectives of the Forest Park Task Force will continue to prepare for the trial of Todd Allen Reed, a 32-year-old North Portland man facing seven counts of aggravated murder in the strangulation deaths of three women found between May 7 and June 2 in Forest Park.

Detective Robert Peterson of the Gresham Police Department will serve as a liaison to Portland police, as Gresham police and the East Multnomah County Major Crimes Team re-examine a possible connection between Reed and the unsolved deaths of two Gresham girls who disappeared the summer of 1987. Reed had been a suspect in the killings of Jennifer Tchir, 15, and Mindi C. Thomas, 12, but Gresham police said they never had enough physical evidence to arrest him.

ow, police are retrieving the girls' clothing to see whether they can obtain DNA samples they might compare with Reed's. Tchir and Thomas were found in remote wooded areas on the eastern side of Gresham, about three miles apart. Each had been strangled. Reed's girlfriend knew both girls and was the last person to see the victims alive. Police are still investigating the disappearance of Amatha Saenz, an 18-year-old Portland woman who was reported missing July 1 and was friendly with Alexandria Ison, 17, one of the Forest Park victims.

Amatha Saenz is my sister and Harry Oaks is a fraud that’s why police don’t use him he has located some missing pets but there was never any hits on my sister he basically took several thousand dollars from my grieving mother for nothing he turned up nothing. My sisters remains have never been found Todd Allen Reed didn’t not speak at his sentencing despite my mother and my aunt (Alexandra’s mother) begging him to tell us where her remains were, also the district attorney advising him to tell us threatening that when they do locate her they will seek the death penalty. He is a coward he took a plea deal because he was fearful of being out too dealt your not able to locate him in the prison system because again he is a coward part of the plea agreement was that he got transferred out of state to another prison under another name but funny thing is they never gave him a time frame as too when he’d get to relocate so he spent 20 yrs. With Oregon before they found a prison willing to take him the type of inmate he is makes him high risk for getting killed so he was denied by California, Arizona , & I’m sure a few other states. Connection to Alexandra Ison my mother and Alex’s mom have been friends for 45 years now before any of us were born . We also grew up around the block from each other and referred to each other as cousins both our moms are named Susan so aunt Suzi & aunt Susan is they were referred to by us kids. Both Alex & Amatha suffered from Bi-polar disorders unfortunately Alex got involved with street families downtown Portland when she was 13 or so ended up being introduced to heroin by an older boyfriend she had met , then came prostitution, Amatha didn’t use drugs but she also met an older boyfriend who got her wrapped up in prostitution. The night Amatha went missing she was on west Burnside near Forest Park also she went missing 06/30/1999 if you notice Todd Allen Reed seems to kill his victims all around the same times of the month. His girlfriends car was seen in the area the night my sister went missing , she had gotten out of her boyfriends truck he drove a couple blocks turned around went back she was gone . She would never of run off she had a 4 month old baby that I was watching the night she was killed & I had to work the next morning she was supposed to of been back to get him by 1am . At the time I also worked on west Burnside at a restaurant on 19th which is only 4 blocks or so from where Alex & my sister were taken from, as children we also lived in Gresham not far from where both Gresham girls were taken from and we attended the same elementary school . It’s extremely crazy how there is so many similarities Alex & Amatha both suffered from mental illness both were amazing artist & unfortunately were lost young girls who never got the chance to grow up and find inner peace they both deserved. Alex is buried in a beautiful spot at a cemetery in Gresham near a creek we would love to find my sister someday and bury her there too. You’d think it would get easier as the years go by but it doesn’t actually it gets harder it’s been so long now never thought it would take so many years and no we don’t believe she is in forest park it was a hot spot at the time so he wouldn’t of dumped her there . It’s amazing to see all the advancements in DNA and identification technology today gives me hope that when she located we will know . She was legally declared deceased in 2017 by the Oregon state medical examiner but she is also listed and has been listed on Oregons homicide list for 1999. There is another Amatha from Oregon too Amatha Mendive Boyd who was also murdered in 2005 she is and was the Amatha my sister was named after they were neighbors of ours in Gresham at the time and my mother fell in love with the name . I reconnected with Amathas brother a few years ago he actually worked with my boyfriend it was crazy when we found out our connection and the fact both Amathas have been killed in his Amathas case they have her body but never caught her killer , our case Todd Allen is in prison we have talked about which is easier and honestly we’d rather have her body or remains it’s great Todd Allen Reed is in prison where he belongs but we’d like to have our family members remains my sisters son deserves a place to mourn his mother his life hasn’t been easy he also suffers from bi polar and has spent countless hours crying saying he wants to die to go be with him mom. It’s very sad despite all of the therapy he has had he is still very lost we fear every day that something is going to happen to him he has always missed the mother he never got to know. None of the families agreed to the plea agreement Todd Allen Reed received nor were we consulted I mean none of the families and all families of all victims were there including the victim he raped who to this day still struggles with the trauma from the brutal attack and attempted murder. We had all requested that Todd Allen Reed tell where my sister was located prior to giving him a plea deal to avoid the death penalty the reason they gave the offer we were given was this avoided the many years of appeals processes a death penalty case has, & the cost to the state for that process . The district attorney heard from all family members the day of sentencing about how unhappy we were with the deal he was offered . My mother sat in front of Todd Allan begging him to tell us where she was she even asked him to think of his own little boys and how it feel if they were taken he sat stone faced didn’t share one ounce of emotion nothing just cold. I hope this explains a little more detail the background of the case & if you can update any online posts about this case you see id appreciate it if anyone knows anything or possibly knows please we’d love to know anything? Thank you

 

[Murkywaters]

Amatha Saenz is my sister and Harry Oaks is a fraud that’s why police don’t use him he has located some missing pets but there was never any hits on my sister he basically took several thousand dollars from my grieving mother for nothing he turned up nothing. My sisters remains have never been found Todd Allen Reed didn’t not speak at his sentencing despite my mother and my aunt (Alexandra’s mother) begging him to tell us where her remains were, also the district attorney advising him to tell us threatening that when they do locate her they will seek the death penalty. He is a coward he took a plea deal because he was fearful of being out too dealt your not able to locate him in the prison system because again he is a coward part of the plea agreement was that he got transferred out of state to another prison under another name but funny thing is they never gave him a time frame as too when he’d get to relocate so he spent 20 yrs. With Oregon before they found a prison willing to take him the type of inmate he is makes him high risk for getting killed so he was denied by California, Arizona , & I’m sure a few other states. Connection to Alexandra Ison my mother and Alex’s mom have been friends for 45 years now before any of us were born . We also grew up around the block from each other and referred to each other as cousins both our moms are named Susan so aunt Suzi & aunt Susan is they were referred to by us kids. Both Alex & Amatha suffered from Bi-polar disorders unfortunately Alex got involved with street families downtown Portland when she was 13 or so ended up being introduced to heroin by an older boyfriend she had met , then came prostitution, Amatha didn’t use drugs but she also met an older boyfriend who got her wrapped up in prostitution. The night Amatha went missing she was on west Burnside near Forest Park also she went missing 06/30/1999 if you notice Todd Allen Reed seems to kill his victims all around the same times of the month. His girlfriends car was seen in the area the night my sister went missing , she had gotten out of her boyfriends truck he drove a couple blocks turned around went back she was gone . She would never of run off she had a 4 month old baby that I was watching the night she was killed & I had to work the next morning she was supposed to of been back to get him by 1am . At the time I also worked on west Burnside at a restaurant on 19th which is only 4 blocks or so from where Alex & my sister were taken from, as children we also lived in Gresham not far from where both Gresham girls were taken from and we attended the same elementary school . It’s extremely crazy how there is so many similarities Alex & Amatha both suffered from mental illness both were amazing artist & unfortunately were lost young girls who never got the chance to grow up and find inner peace they both deserved. Alex is buried in a beautiful spot at a cemetery in Gresham near a creek we would love to find my sister someday and bury her there too. You’d think it would get easier as the years go by but it doesn’t actually it gets harder it’s been so long now never thought it would take so many years and no we don’t believe she is in forest park it was a hot spot at the time so he wouldn’t of dumped her there . It’s amazing to see all the advancements in DNA and identification technology today gives me hope that when she located we will know . She was legally declared deceased in 2017 by the Oregon state medical examiner but she is also listed and has been listed on Oregons homicide list for 1999. There is another Amatha from Oregon too Amatha Mendive Boyd who was also murdered in 2005 she is and was the Amatha my sister was named after they were neighbors of ours in Gresham at the time and my mother fell in love with the name . I reconnected with Amathas brother a few years ago he actually worked with my boyfriend it was crazy when we found out our connection and the fact both Amathas have been killed in his Amathas case they have her body but never caught her killer , our case Todd Allen is in prison we have talked about which is easier and honestly we’d rather have her body or remains it’s great Todd Allen Reed is in prison where he belongs but we’d like to have our family members remains my sisters son deserves a place to mourn his mother his life hasn’t been easy he also suffers from bi polar and has spent countless hours crying saying he wants to die to go be with him mom. It’s very sad despite all of the therapy he has had he is still very lost we fear every day that something is going to happen to him he has always missed the mother he never got to know. None of the families agreed to the plea agreement Todd Allen Reed received nor were we consulted I mean none of the families and all families of all victims were there including the victim he raped who to this day still struggles with the trauma from the brutal attack and attempted murder. We had all requested that Todd Allen Reed tell where my sister was located prior to giving him a plea deal to avoid the death penalty the reason they gave the offer we were given was this avoided the many years of appeals processes a death penalty case has, & the cost to the state for that process . The district attorney heard from all family members the day of sentencing about how unhappy we were with the deal he was offered . My mother sat in front of Todd Allan begging him to tell us where she was she even asked him to think of his own little boys and how it feel if they were taken he sat stone faced didn’t share one ounce of emotion nothing just cold. I hope this explains a little more detail the background of the case & if you can update any online posts about this case you see id appreciate it if anyone knows anything or possibly knows please we’d love to know anything? Thank you

Thank you for this post, it definitely does provide more background into Amatha's disappearance. Is Amatha the only victim of Todd Reed that is still missing?

 

[Mfs1123]

Thank you for this post, it definitely does provide more background into Amatha's disappearance. Is Amatha the only victim of Todd Reed that is still missing?

As Far as we know yes she is the only one still missing & I don’t believe he will ever tell us where her body is. He is a sociopath who sat stone faced with no emotion, no facial expressions just stared straight ahead never said one word after everyone read there victim impact statements my mom crying and begging to know where her daughters body was so we could have that. My mom even tried to appeal to him mentioning the fact he had 2 little boys of his own at that time & if his child was missing he’d want to find them. Todd Allen Reed is also a suspect in the 1987 murders of 2 girls in Gresham ages were around 12-13 my sister & I actually went to school with them to we didn’t know them we were younger obviously . Todd & his wife at the time were the last people seen with both girls & his wife it’s believed was the one who lured the girls away for Reed to kill. After Reed went to prison Child Protected Services removed the boys from his ex wife & they were moved to Arizona his wife died mid 2000s of cancer. Anyhow those 2 girls, the women he abducted in 1995 whom was 8 mos. Pregnant once he grabbed her he took her to another large park called Mt. Tabor then rapped her in back of his car between his own child’s carseats strangled her & left her for dead. Thankfully she survived Reed got a 5yr. Plea agreement but was released on parole after 2yrs. Not long after his release he killed those in Forest Park my cousin Lila, Stephanie, my cousin Alex Ison, my sister Amatha it’s believed Amathas body isn’t in Forest Park they had too many cops in that area at the time. Also if you google Amatha there was actually 2 Amathas my sister who was named after a little girl that we lived Nextdoor too she was 10 or so when my sister was born my mom loved the name that Amatha was also murdered in mid 2000s her body was found but her case has never been solved. I met her brother about 10yrs. ago now & we had been friends from work we had known each other 3-4 mos. before we figured out we are the siblings of Amatha’s . The world is a crazy place you don’t realize the effects trauma like this has on a person but it does my mom aged 10 yrs. Over night she spent so much time watching crime docs , learning about DNA she has saved all my sister clothes, hair brushes, toothbrushes etc waiting for the day remains are located & they need her dna.

 

[Caring1]

Bump for Amatha

 

[Pennysmom1]

Amatha Marie Saenz - Oregon Missing Person Directory

Details and Pictures of Amatha Marie Saenz, Missing since June 1999

www.missingin.org

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Missing: Amatha Saenz | Portland, OR | Uncovered

uncovered.com